Razor strop



oct. 20,1925. 1,557,652

C. E. CARPENTER RAZOR STROP Filed Aug. 8. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 oct. 20,1925'. I i 1,557,652

, C. E. CARPENTER RAZOR smo? Filed Aug. 8, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Cil Patented @et 2Q, 1925.

UNITED ST T s A a E; my

El e

Razonsrnor.

Application filed August 8, 1923.

To @ZZ whomt may concern V Be it known that T, CHARLES CARPEN- rman, a citizen of the United States; residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Razor Strops, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has to do with certain improvements in razor strops for safety razor blades and the like. The main object of theinvention is to provide an improved construction of strop for honing safety razor blades, and for causing the blades to reverse position as the friction of movement is periodically reversed.

In connection with the foregoing it is to be noted that as the blade is drawn back and forth over the strap its cutting edge should be pressed down onto the surface of the strap with the proper pressure during each movement7 which pressure should be suiiicient to give the desired honing action, but should not be suicient to injure either the cutting edge or the strap.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a friction device for causingthe desired pressure to be exerted between these parts, which friction device is itself under the control of a spring` or a spring pressed part, so that the proper amount of friction will becreated at all times and after extensive use of the device with the corresponding and expected wear. This will insure satisfactory and substantially uniform operation ofthe device over a long period of time.

Another object of the invention is to provide an arrangement which can be very cheaply and easily constructed from a small number of parts and at low cost.

Other objects and uses will appear from a detailed description of the invention, which consists of the features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 shows a face view of a strop embodying the features of the present invention, this vie-w looking down onto that side of the device on which the blade carrier is located; n

Fig. 2 shows a` section taken on line 2--2 of Fig. 1 looking` in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 2 may also be considered a sec tion on line 2-2 of Fig. 3 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Serial No. 656,391.

Fig. 3 shows a section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2 looking` in the direction of the arrows, but on enlarged' scale; y

F ig. 4 shows a view similar to that of Fig. 1 but looking at the opposite side of the device;

Fig. 5 shows a detailed section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 3 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 6 shows a view similar to that of Fig. 3, but of a fragmentary nature7 and shows a modified form of construction;

Fig. 7 shows a section through the sprocket drum and associated parts of the construction shown in 6; but on enlarged scale; y

Fig. 8 shows a view taken on line 8--8 of Fig. 7 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary section through the axis of the blade holder of another modim fied construction, on enlarged scale; and

Fig. l0 is a cross section taken on line 10-10 of Fig. 9 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Tn the arrangement shown in Figs. A1, 2, 3, 4: and 5 YT have illustrated a frame, including side plates 12 and 13, which are joined together by end cross pieces 141 and 15 respectively. The side plates l2' and 13 are` shown as being of channel shaped cross section, as is clearly evident from Fig. 3. The strap 16 lies between the side plates l2 and 13 and has one end permanently fastened to the cross piece 14 and .its other end adjustably fastened by means of a thumb screw 17. A suitable handle 18 is provided at one end of the device, so that it can be conveniently held when in use. lVithin the frame and between the side plates l2 and 13 there is located a blade carrier 19 of such construction that the safety blade 2O can be conveniently inserted and held therein. This blade carrier preferably includes a central tubular shaped section 21 shown in detail in Fig. 3.

Near the end portions of the tubular section 21 are placed the fixed blocks 22 and 23; and sprocket wheels 24 and 25 are located adjaeent to the ends of the tubular member 2l, said sprocket wheels having hubs 26 and 27 which work within the ends of the tubular member. The inner ends of the hubs 26 and 27 are cone shaped, as shown at 28 and 29; and the fixed blocks 22 and 23 are provided with tapering i111 wardly extending recesses to receive the cones 28 and 29.

The hubs 26 and 27 are provided withv stems 30 and 3l respectively, which reach through the fixed blocks 22 and 23 and are journalled therein. Each of the stems 30 and 31 is spring pressed inwardly so as to draw its hub against the Vcorresponding fixed block with a suflicient amount of pull to create the desired friction between the parts. For this purpose vthe springs 32 and are placed around the stems 3.0 and 31, said springs bearing against cross. pins 34 and 35 at their outer ends, and against washers 3G and 37 at their inner ends. These washer-s in turn are nonro-tatably but slidably mounted yon the stems '8O and 31, so that the springs will keep the parts under proper spring `pressure but will not kthemselves be subjected to any `twisting action due to the rotation of the stems.

The sprockets 24 and 25 Work freely in ratchets 38 and 39 formed in the flanges of the Iside bars 12 and 13 respectively. The teeth of these ratchets are sufficiently broad to insure proper engagement of the sprockets with them notwithstanding any slight back and forth movement of the sprockets .due to the action of the springs.

An operating handle 40 is provided for shifting the blade carrier back and forth with a reciprocating movement. This handle is mounted on a forked frame having arms 41 and 42 which engages the end portions of the tubular member 21. Consequently, as the handle is moved back and forth the blade carrier and tubular member are simultaneously moved back and forth and the sprockets thus subjected to the action of the ratehets. An examination of Fig. 2 shows that the sprockets engage their ratchets on the same side of the strap 16 as the blade carrier is located, and, consequently, each time the direction of movement of the blade carrier is reversed, the blade is turned up and away from the strap and thrown down on the opposite side. This reversing action takes place almost immediately upon the commencement of a reverse movement of the handle 40, so that the tendency to out theV strap is eliminated.

As the blade carrier travels along the strap, the sprockets continue to rotate, and the rotational tendency is communicated to the blade carrier through the frictional engageinent of the hubs with the fixed blocks 2 2 and 23. As soon as the blade comes into engagement with the strap its further turning movement is resisted, but the friction between the parts just mentioned is properly adjusted to insure the desired amount of pressure of the blade against the strap.

An examination of Fig. 3 Will reveal that the tubular member 21- extends beyond the edges of the strap. This is a desirable arrangement, since any vcuttings or filings which may be caused from time to time by the frictional engagen'ient of the parts Will be .allowed to fall entirely clear of the strap instead of being deposited on its edge por tions.

In order to insure a more satisfactory back and forth travel of the blade carrier I prefer to mount the same within a rectangular frame, including the relatively shortend pla-tes 41 and 42, which are joined together by cross rods 43 and 44 respectively. These end plates travel within the side channels 12 and 13, the end portions of the stems or shafts 30 and 31 reaching into the plates 41 and 42 respectively. It will be noted from an examination of Fig.2 that the handle 40 is free to swing back and forth between the cross rods 43 and 44, so that the presence of this supplemental frame does not in any manner interfere with the proper manipulation of theparts.

In the modified construction shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8, the blade carrier is to be mounted on a transverse shaft 45. The sprocket wheels 46 and 47 are journalled on the end portions of the shaft 45 and Work in the ratchets of the side plates 12 and 13 in a manner similar to that already explained.

On each end of the shaft '45 is placed a friction disk 4S having its edge portion flanged over to provide a series of separated shoes 4S) which bear against the inner cylindrical surface 50 of the corresponding sprocket wheel. '.Ihe plate 48 and shoes 49 may be made of springy material and given a slight taper, so that the shoes will it snugly into the chamber of the sprocket wheel with the desired amount of frictional engagement.

In the modified construction 'shown in Figs. 9 and l0, a transverse shaft 51 rotates through the tubular member 21 and carries the sprockets on its ends, so that said shaft 51 rotates continuously during the travel of the sprockets over the ratchets. This shaft 51 carries a pair of frictional shoes 52 and 53 which may be made of spring material and engage the inner surface of the tubular member 21 with the desired amount of frictional engagement. n

Thile I have lierein'shown and described only certain embodiments of the features of my present invention, still I do not limit myself to the same except as I may do so in the claim.

I claim: Y

In a razor sti-opper, the combination of a rectangular frame having a pair of channel shaped side plates with their channel portions facing each other and also having suitable end connections joining said chan.- nels together, a strap exten-ding between the end connections aforesaid, a blade carrier located on one side of the strap and between the channel shaped side plates, said blade carrier including` a tubular member, a handle pivctally connected to tbe tubular f' member and serving` to shove the tubular member back and forth With respect to tbe strap, a fixed member in each end cf the tubular member, a sprocket Wheel at each end of the tubular member, a bnb connected to each sprocket Wheel and reaching into the tubular member and frietionally engaging the fixed member in the tubular member aforesaid, spring pressure means tending to draw the hubs against the fixed blocks aforesaid, and ratchets on the frame side plates, engaging tbe sprockets, substantially as described.

CHARLES E. CARPENTER. 

